Hello All,
I wanted to clarify what we hoped to achieve. We're looking for tools or products to share that enhance learning. Please be specific. For example, how do you use computers for research or artistic creation? Are there particular programs or sites or products you would recommend to fellow teachers? If you have thoughts on how these tools improve teaching and learning, that would be interesting, too. Thanks.
Pat
Eric
1. Research- I use the SSU website and Google
2. Communication- with classmates, colleagues other classes, people virtually anywhere
3. Project based learning: I currently use Adobe products- (Flash, Illustrator, Photoshop) to create curriculum, I plan on using powerpoint to tell educational stories to children
Debra Lanum: 1) research and how to evaluate sources and their bias 2) online learning tools to enhance classroom work (online version of our math textbook that has games, a personal tutor, extra examples worked out, etc.) 3) the opportunity to have class discussions/post student work in an arena where there is an authentic audience such as a blog, a wiki, or a facebook page.
Melanie 1 discussion in a different way then the normal classroom 2 collaboration such as a wiki and 3 research. word processing (logisitical stuff)
Kristy: . 1. to show my first graders pictures and videos 2. research topics 3. communicate with fellow staff members"
Catherine: 1.)Internet research for 5th grade Social Studies reports on explorers, U.S. presidents, & U.S. states, 2.)Expression of ideas through multimedia(PowerPoint--any subject area, but I've focused on L.Arts: summarize, question, evaluate, monitor/clarify, & predict/infer), 3.)Supplemental to enhance content area curriculum(any subject area, but I've focused on Science).
Theresa: 1.)Artistic creation, 2.)Publish own work, 3.)Collaboration with peers in and out of the classroom.
Stefanie: 1) Mimio (mimio.com) - lesson presentation tool and software
2) Study Island (studyisland.com) - online CA standards based practice, available for math, science, and ELA
- can have students work in game mode or test mode or print worksheets from it Thanks for sharing this, Stefanie! Can't wait to check it out. (from Laura)
3) Aeries - gradebook tool
4) Holt online textbook and homework help (my.hrw.com and go.hrw.com)
Hal - 1) I am still trying to get a couple students to learn pivot (stick figure animation program) and use it to create anti-smoking PSAs
2) The history channel has a series called Lost Worlds that I bought on DVD. The pilot program is about Palenque, the fabulous Mayan ruins in Chiapas.
I tried to download a game that is based on the program to enrich the study of ancient cultures and architecture. I was only partially successful but still
intrigued.
3) I currently use YOUTUBE to locate and play tutorials on learning to play the piano parts of popular songs that my students like. We find the tutorial and place the
laptop on the piano so the students can replay the tutorial quickly and repeatedly while seated at the keyboard. Hal - you can use YouTube at school? It is blocked for us. I am so envious! (from Laura)
4) I am about to be trained in OMAR and as a special education teacher, this is a boon to my professional practice as it should greatly streamline many aspects of the SpEd teacher's job. Not the least of which would be
IEP writing, goal writing (there is a "goal bank" with over 600 goals that can be adapted for individual students) and SERVE forms digitally updated with data extracted directly from the IEP fields.
Johnathan: Ways I use computers in class
1) Research: online research is a fact, and it is vital that students learn how to do it responsibly. This requires an entire series of critical thinking activities that usually takes up the first quarter of class. At that point they have the tools to make their own decisions on what is a credible source.
2) Composition: I love to write, so I have my students write a lot. It’s vital for them to be able to articulate their thoughts in a reasonable manner, especially today when the bulk of their interaction is going to be online. It also helps them understand the importance of different literacies: for example when they write for the classroom they must do so in standard English vernacular.
3) Student Interaction: this is the new concept that I’ve been introduced to this semester. The power of interactive online tools to provide a common forum for students to express and exchange ideas is awesome (in the traditional sense of that word). I truly wish I was teaching this year just so I could put something like this into operation, and I look forward to hearing from those teachers who are using these tools to find out how they work out.
Chris Lister~
1. Study Island as well. Motivates students to do review on tested materials and allows them to play games against students all over California. They are always trying to get the top scores.
2. I have to have my computer to run my smartboard and use the Notebook software. This makes my Math Lessons more interactive for the students and helps visual learners more.
3. Virtual Manipulates. A website that brings any math manipulates you need digitally and for free. Students get to balance equations, use venn diagrams, play educational games to enhance the learning process.
Laura:
1. I just started using a class blog -- it engages the kids in writing, but even more valuable, it exposes them to all their peers' writing and allows them to comment on it. I have spent a lot of time in the past reproducing student writing so they can see models from their peers, but it looks like now I can just take them to the computer lab and we can all look at student writing together. Or I could give them a homework assignment of looking at a certain post on the blog that one of them wrote and have them analyze its effectiveness. Huge time saver for me, and more engaging for them.
2. For ten years I have had my students create their own magazine -- each student makes their own. The main purpose is to teach essay writing (each article is another chance to practice writing an essay), but of course the "hook" is that the students "own" the topics of their magazines so they are more engaged in the writing and production. So -- where does the technology come in? Of course they word process all the articles, ads, etc., and I take that opportunity to teach them lots of formatting tricks so they can make their work look more like a magazine. Columns, Clip Art, photos, headlines, Word Art, captions, text boxes... these are handy tools that most of them won't learn to use without help. In fact, at the end of the project, many of them write in their reflection that learning to use all those tools was their favorite part. It empowers them and they develop a lot of pride in what they are able to create.
3. Although a computer grade book and e-mail may not seem all that profound, I have found some aspects to be great timesavers for me and my students' parents, and the ability to communicate is improved and more effective. Prior to e-mail and cell phones, I remember parents telling me they had to lock their answering machine in a closet or else their child would erase messages from teachers. Now I can send an e-mail that goes directly to the parent, and I don't have to spend an hour on the phone hearing the parent's sob story of why Johnny misbehaves. Using my computer grade book, I can e-mail a detailed progress report to the parent with a couple clicks of the mouse. A phone call or e-mail informing a parent that Johnny is failing often leads to disagreement from the parent who can't imagine how he could be since he says he has done all the work. But when I e-mail a progress report? No argument at all. Kelly Lister
In the computer lab-
1. National Library of Virtual Manipulatives- All the math manipulative you want, none of the clean up. I have schedule the lap time to happen during math class, so we do the lesson in the lab, experiment with the manipulatives, and go from there. I especially love the Sieve of Erostothenes, multiplying fractions array, and base ten block applications. (website)
2. Word- this is how I have been doing the class blogs- we save the docs in a shared folder in the server. The blog assignment has actually really broken me out of teaching the typical Word stuff, the students have gotten a handle on formatting because they want their blogs to look a certain way, they have learned how to import pictures and set up links so they can really get their message across.
3. Inspiration- Templates for all kinds of writing. Graphic organizers,etc.
ERICA NICKERSON
1. Visual Content to boost students understanding most reciently BRAINPOP(on web, you have to subscribe or can do 5 day free trial) content comics that are essentially short videos that tie to learning in science class.
2. Multimedia stories both personal narratives and content in 6th grade science most successful was imovie students made in Science where they recorded themselves preforming an experiment then they put it into an imovie with beginning slides, vidoe of the experiment, a voice over explantion of the steps to the experiment, and a closing slide! It was FABULOUS really!
3. Kids Research on the internet and word processing.
Fouad Atef Elkadi
Computers are information highways, and they must be utilized by all who seek specific information. Teachers, students, and parents our main focus, and they all must be trained to use computers.
There are many common uses of the computer by the teacher, student, and parent.The fact that some parents and students do not have computers at home should not be used as an execuse for not to use computers in the classroom.
1- Reasearch. Computers are a good source for many useful articles, that is helpful for the teacher and for the student. Educational research is very vital, and there are many articles that cover that.
Teachers can use valuable programs,like mimio, smart board, or moodle to conduct lessons.
2- Students can navigate many sites on the internet to get information they need for their school projects, and integrate the information into their powerpoint presentations. Information is available online for every school subject. Democratically speaking, the internet must be available to the students without too many restrictions ( ofcourse, age plays here a very crucial role.)
3- The set up and use of blogs, e-mails,and wikis, can be avery useful three way communication amongst teachers, students, and parents. Posting announcements, grades, homework, dicussions and feed back, are just few uses.
Having said the above, we must train students (assuming that teachers have already been trained) how to use the computer, and educate them to be critical thinkers as well.
Laurel Leonard-Brol
I use computers to find research related to professional development, technology, adult education “best practices,” and curriculum and instruction. I’m gathering resources to share with teachers in my program as I develop a comprehensive PD plan. Some of this information will be shared in PLCs, the department blog and program and school-wide workshops.
In addition to looking for research, I’m preparing to use the computer to share a blog for professional development purposes. Teachers will access the dept blog on Wordpress, review research and videos and respond to the readings. I'm also starting to use Google docs to share files with teachers in our Workplace program.
I plan to use the following in the following in the following in the near future to streamline data management, file sharing and to manage time and projects: __http://jott.com/jott/jott-assistant.html__ Jott Assistant lets you use your voice capture notes & to-dos, set reminders and appointments, send email and text messages, and post to web services. The voice-to-text turns voice notes, messages, and updates into text and sends them where you want. I’m often traveling from one meeting to another with various notes and information that needs to be shared with my colleagues, principals, teachers or collaborators. This could be used to share relevant notes on the spot-- or it could be more cumbersome than using my Blackberry for notes and reminders. __https://www.mesh.com/Welcome/overview/Overview.aspx__ Mesh is a web-based program that is coordinated between your main computers (school and home computers, or even mobile phone). Even though these devices live in multiple places, the files we need may be saved in only one location. If you’re working on one computer, but need a file from another, you can use live mesh to connect to your other computers and access its desktop as if you were sitting right in front of it. I, like many in education work at home or away at conferences and find that the document I need the most and have not saved to my flash, is on my school computer! Mesh could provide the link I need and is worth exploring. __http://www.jingproject.com/__ Jing is a web-based program to record your comments about digital work and send your comments- and the work-- to parents, students, colleagues or admin. Jing can be used to collaborate on a design project, share and narrate a snapshot of a document, narrate photos or other images, show somebody how to used an application, or comment on students’ homework or colleagues’ work. This may not be necessary for the work I currently do, but would have been useful for collaborative projects in the past. I might look into this. __http://dabbledb.com/__ Dabble looks incredibly useful and hopefully user-friendly. It can be used to create reports, sort and group information, collaborate with others, create formulas and subtotals, use calendars, charts, and maps, share and collect data. I’m currently working with names and contact information for a group of students in my Certified Nursing Assistant Program and need to figure out the best way to store survey and other data I’m collecting on them. This information will eventually end up on a spreadsheet (Excel) or a data base. Dabble could be the ideal tool to manage this information. I need to investigate a bit further but will definitely need to decide on a new format to organize this information in order to run this program efficiently and effectively.
Mary Lynn
1. I am fairly new to blogging but my students love it and it is working well. I find it a great way for students to see each others' comments, questions, and concerns. I would like to get all students using it, however and do something a little more formalized like Laura is doing.
2. I LOVE using video-streaming in the classroom. Our students have access at home or at school. If a student is out of school, I can send them a link to the movie we watched and they can see it in the privacy of their own home/room. I use clips from videos or whole videos to teach, reteach, or to give students an overall context for something we are about to study (espec in SS).
3. Research. I have to say that this may not be the most innovative but such an invaluable tool in the classroom. Our students are taught how to research including evaluating info. on the web, using databases, refined searches, etc. They are also taught how to create bibliographies using web based tools. We are a project based school and there is no way that we could do the kind of work and projects that we do without this research tool.
I wanted to clarify what we hoped to achieve. We're looking for tools or products to share that enhance learning. Please be specific. For example, how do you use computers for research or artistic creation? Are there particular programs or sites or products you would recommend to fellow teachers? If you have thoughts on how these tools improve teaching and learning, that would be interesting, too. Thanks.
Pat
Eric
1. Research- I use the SSU website and Google
2. Communication- with classmates, colleagues other classes, people virtually anywhere
3. Project based learning: I currently use Adobe products- (Flash, Illustrator, Photoshop) to create curriculum, I plan on using powerpoint to tell educational stories to children
Debra Lanum: 1) research and how to evaluate sources and their bias 2) online learning tools to enhance classroom work (online version of our math textbook that has games, a personal tutor, extra examples worked out, etc.) 3) the opportunity to have class discussions/post student work in an arena where there is an authentic audience such as a blog, a wiki, or a facebook page.
Melanie 1 discussion in a different way then the normal classroom 2 collaboration such as a wiki and 3 research. word processing (logisitical stuff)
Kristy: . 1. to show my first graders pictures and videos 2. research topics 3. communicate with fellow staff members"
Catherine: 1.)Internet research for 5th grade Social Studies reports on explorers, U.S. presidents, & U.S. states, 2.)Expression of ideas through multimedia(PowerPoint--any subject area, but I've focused on L.Arts: summarize, question, evaluate, monitor/clarify, & predict/infer), 3.)Supplemental to enhance content area curriculum(any subject area, but I've focused on Science).
Theresa: 1.)Artistic creation, 2.)Publish own work, 3.)Collaboration with peers in and out of the classroom.
Stefanie: 1) Mimio (mimio.com) - lesson presentation tool and software
2) Study Island (studyisland.com) - online CA standards based practice, available for math, science, and ELA
- can have students work in game mode or test mode or print worksheets from it Thanks for sharing this, Stefanie! Can't wait to check it out. (from Laura)
3) Aeries - gradebook tool
4) Holt online textbook and homework help (my.hrw.com and go.hrw.com)
Hal - 1) I am still trying to get a couple students to learn pivot (stick figure animation program) and use it to create anti-smoking PSAs
2) The history channel has a series called Lost Worlds that I bought on DVD. The pilot program is about Palenque, the fabulous Mayan ruins in Chiapas.
I tried to download a game that is based on the program to enrich the study of ancient cultures and architecture. I was only partially successful but still
intrigued.
3) I currently use YOUTUBE to locate and play tutorials on learning to play the piano parts of popular songs that my students like. We find the tutorial and place the
laptop on the piano so the students can replay the tutorial quickly and repeatedly while seated at the keyboard. Hal - you can use YouTube at school? It is blocked for us. I am so envious! (from Laura)
4) I am about to be trained in OMAR and as a special education teacher, this is a boon to my professional practice as it should greatly streamline many aspects of the SpEd teacher's job. Not the least of which would be
IEP writing, goal writing (there is a "goal bank" with over 600 goals that can be adapted for individual students) and SERVE forms digitally updated with data extracted directly from the IEP fields.
Johnathan: Ways I use computers in class
1) Research: online research is a fact, and it is vital that students learn how to do it responsibly. This requires an entire series of critical thinking activities that usually takes up the first quarter of class. At that point they have the tools to make their own decisions on what is a credible source.
2) Composition: I love to write, so I have my students write a lot. It’s vital for them to be able to articulate their thoughts in a reasonable manner, especially today when the bulk of their interaction is going to be online. It also helps them understand the importance of different literacies: for example when they write for the classroom they must do so in standard English vernacular.
3) Student Interaction: this is the new concept that I’ve been introduced to this semester. The power of interactive online tools to provide a common forum for students to express and exchange ideas is awesome (in the traditional sense of that word). I truly wish I was teaching this year just so I could put something like this into operation, and I look forward to hearing from those teachers who are using these tools to find out how they work out.
Chris Lister~
1. Study Island as well. Motivates students to do review on tested materials and allows them to play games against students all over California. They are always trying to get the top scores.
2. I have to have my computer to run my smartboard and use the Notebook software. This makes my Math Lessons more interactive for the students and helps visual learners more.
3. Virtual Manipulates. A website that brings any math manipulates you need digitally and for free. Students get to balance equations, use venn diagrams, play educational games to enhance the learning process.
Laura:
1. I just started using a class blog -- it engages the kids in writing, but even more valuable, it exposes them to all their peers' writing and allows them to comment on it. I have spent a lot of time in the past reproducing student writing so they can see models from their peers, but it looks like now I can just take them to the computer lab and we can all look at student writing together. Or I could give them a homework assignment of looking at a certain post on the blog that one of them wrote and have them analyze its effectiveness. Huge time saver for me, and more engaging for them.
2. For ten years I have had my students create their own magazine -- each student makes their own. The main purpose is to teach essay writing (each article is another chance to practice writing an essay), but of course the "hook" is that the students "own" the topics of their magazines so they are more engaged in the writing and production. So -- where does the technology come in? Of course they word process all the articles, ads, etc., and I take that opportunity to teach them lots of formatting tricks so they can make their work look more like a magazine. Columns, Clip Art, photos, headlines, Word Art, captions, text boxes... these are handy tools that most of them won't learn to use without help. In fact, at the end of the project, many of them write in their reflection that learning to use all those tools was their favorite part. It empowers them and they develop a lot of pride in what they are able to create.
3. Although a computer grade book and e-mail may not seem all that profound, I have found some aspects to be great timesavers for me and my students' parents, and the ability to communicate is improved and more effective. Prior to e-mail and cell phones, I remember parents telling me they had to lock their answering machine in a closet or else their child would erase messages from teachers. Now I can send an e-mail that goes directly to the parent, and I don't have to spend an hour on the phone hearing the parent's sob story of why Johnny misbehaves. Using my computer grade book, I can e-mail a detailed progress report to the parent with a couple clicks of the mouse. A phone call or e-mail informing a parent that Johnny is failing often leads to disagreement from the parent who can't imagine how he could be since he says he has done all the work. But when I e-mail a progress report? No argument at all.
Kelly Lister
In the computer lab-
1. National Library of Virtual Manipulatives- All the math manipulative you want, none of the clean up. I have schedule the lap time to happen during math class, so we do the lesson in the lab, experiment with the manipulatives, and go from there. I especially love the Sieve of Erostothenes, multiplying fractions array, and base ten block applications. (website)
2. Word- this is how I have been doing the class blogs- we save the docs in a shared folder in the server. The blog assignment has actually really broken me out of teaching the typical Word stuff, the students have gotten a handle on formatting because they want their blogs to look a certain way, they have learned how to import pictures and set up links so they can really get their message across.
3. Inspiration- Templates for all kinds of writing. Graphic organizers,etc.
ERICA NICKERSON
1. Visual Content to boost students understanding most reciently BRAINPOP(on web, you have to subscribe or can do 5 day free trial) content comics that are essentially short videos that tie to learning in science class.
2. Multimedia stories both personal narratives and content in 6th grade science most successful was imovie students made in Science where they recorded themselves preforming an experiment then they put it into an imovie with beginning slides, vidoe of the experiment, a voice over explantion of the steps to the experiment, and a closing slide! It was FABULOUS really!
3. Kids Research on the internet and word processing.
Fouad Atef Elkadi
Computers are information highways, and they must be utilized by all who seek specific information. Teachers, students, and parents our main focus, and they all must be trained to use computers.
There are many common uses of the computer by the teacher, student, and parent.The fact that some parents and students do not have computers at home should not be used as an execuse for not to use computers in the classroom.
1- Reasearch. Computers are a good source for many useful articles, that is helpful for the teacher and for the student. Educational research is very vital, and there are many articles that cover that.
Teachers can use valuable programs,like mimio, smart board, or moodle to conduct lessons.
2- Students can navigate many sites on the internet to get information they need for their school projects, and integrate the information into their powerpoint presentations. Information is available online for every school subject. Democratically speaking, the internet must be available to the students without too many restrictions ( ofcourse, age plays here a very crucial role.)
3- The set up and use of blogs, e-mails,and wikis, can be avery useful three way communication amongst teachers, students, and parents. Posting announcements, grades, homework, dicussions and feed back, are just few uses.
Having said the above, we must train students (assuming that teachers have already been trained) how to use the computer, and educate them to be critical thinkers as well.
Laurel Leonard-Brol
I use computers to find research related to professional development, technology, adult education “best practices,” and curriculum and instruction. I’m gathering resources to share with teachers in my program as I develop a comprehensive PD plan. Some of this information will be shared in PLCs, the department blog and program and school-wide workshops.
In addition to looking for research, I’m preparing to use the computer to share a blog for professional development purposes. Teachers will access the dept blog on Wordpress, review research and videos and respond to the readings. I'm also starting to use Google docs to share files with teachers in our Workplace program.
I plan to use the following in the following in the following in the near future to streamline data management, file sharing and to manage time and projects:
__http://jott.com/jott/jott-assistant.html__
Jott Assistant lets you use your voice capture notes & to-dos, set reminders and appointments, send email and text messages, and post to web services. The voice-to-text turns voice notes, messages, and updates into text and sends them where you want. I’m often traveling from one meeting to another with various notes and information that needs to be shared with my colleagues, principals, teachers or collaborators. This could be used to share relevant notes on the spot-- or it could be more cumbersome than using my Blackberry for notes and reminders.
__https://www.mesh.com/Welcome/overview/Overview.aspx__ Mesh is a web-based program that is coordinated between your main computers (school and home computers, or even mobile phone). Even though these devices live in multiple places, the files we need may be saved in only one location. If you’re working on one computer, but need a file from another, you can use live mesh to connect to your other computers and access its desktop as if you were sitting right in front of it. I, like many in education work at home or away at conferences and find that the document I need the most and have not saved to my flash, is on my school computer! Mesh could provide the link I need and is worth exploring.
__http://www.jingproject.com/__ Jing is a web-based program to record your comments about digital work and send your comments- and the work-- to parents, students, colleagues or admin. Jing can be used to collaborate on a design project, share and narrate a snapshot of a document, narrate photos or other images, show somebody how to used an application, or comment on students’ homework or colleagues’ work. This may not be necessary for the work I currently do, but would have been useful for collaborative projects in the past. I might look into this.
__http://dabbledb.com/__ Dabble looks incredibly useful and hopefully user-friendly. It can be used to create reports, sort and group information, collaborate with others, create formulas and subtotals, use calendars, charts, and maps, share and collect data. I’m currently working with names and contact information for a group of students in my Certified Nursing Assistant Program and need to figure out the best way to store survey and other data I’m collecting on them. This information will eventually end up on a spreadsheet (Excel) or a data base. Dabble could be the ideal tool to manage this information. I need to investigate a bit further but will definitely need to decide on a new format to organize this information in order to run this program efficiently and effectively.
Mary Lynn
1. I am fairly new to blogging but my students love it and it is working well. I find it a great way for students to see each others' comments, questions, and concerns. I would like to get all students using it, however and do something a little more formalized like Laura is doing.
2. I LOVE using video-streaming in the classroom. Our students have access at home or at school. If a student is out of school, I can send them a link to the movie we watched and they can see it in the privacy of their own home/room. I use clips from videos or whole videos to teach, reteach, or to give students an overall context for something we are about to study (espec in SS).
3. Research. I have to say that this may not be the most innovative but such an invaluable tool in the classroom. Our students are taught how to research including evaluating info. on the web, using databases, refined searches, etc. They are also taught how to create bibliographies using web based tools. We are a project based school and there is no way that we could do the kind of work and projects that we do without this research tool.